Plunger for baling presses



Oct. 7, 1947. M. E. MCCLELLAN ET AL l 2,428,672

PLUNGER FOB BALING PRESSES I Filed July 12, 19.45 2 sheets-Sheet 1 lF/G. J

Oct. 7, 1947. M. E.'Mcc| ELLAN E-TAL 2,428,672

PLUNGER FOR BALING PRESSES Filed July l2, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS: M.E.MC CLELLAN 8x J. R.WEST

Patented Oct. 7, 1947 PLUN GER FOR BALING PRESSES Marcus E. McClellanand James Rex West, t-

tumwa, Iowa, assignors to Dain Manufacturing Co. of Iowa, Ottumwa, Iowa,a corporation of Iowa Application July 12, 1945, Serial No. 604,674

(Cl. 10Q- 29) 4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to baling presses and moreparticularly to baling presses for agricultural use in baling hay, strawand other crop material, and has for its principal object the provisionof a novel and improved plunger for presses of this general type.

A more specific object relates to the provision yof a, pl-unger head forreciprocative movement within a bale case, and provided with means foradjusting the play between the plunger head and the bale case tocompensate for wear.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art after a consideration of the followingdescription, in which reference is had to the drawings appendedheretojin which Figure l is a top plan view, taken in section through abale case, showing a plunger head embodying the principles of ourinvention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, taken in section through the balecase and showing the plunger head in side elevation;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view, taken in section through the balecase, showing the working end of the plunger head;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken along a line4--4 in Figure 3 and drawn to an enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View, taken along a line5--5 in Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the plunger head with the woodenmembers removed.

Referring now to the drawings, the bale case 6 comprises a rectangularwall structure, having substantially parallel horizontal top and bottomwalls l, 8, and a pair o'f laterally spaced vertical walls 2, Iilapproximately perpendicular to the top and bottom walls 'I, 8. One ofthe side walls I0 is provided with a feed opening II, through which thecrop material is fed into the bale case 5. The crop material in the balecase is compressed into a bale by means of a plunger comprising aplunger head I2 actuated by a suitable connecting rod I3 pivotallyconnected thereto at I4. The plunger head I2 comprises a structuralframe I5, which includes transversely extending channel sections I 6interconnected by vertical members I1 and a pair of laterally spacedside plates I8, the upper edges of which lare turned inwardly to formtop walls I9, the inner edges of which are turnedl upwardly to formanges 2li, which are spaced laterally outwardly from the center of theplunger head. Similarly, the lower edges of the side walls I8 are turnedinwardly to provide bottom walls 2 I, the inner edges of which areturned downwardly to provide laterally spaced flanges 22. Front wallplates 23 are supported between the top and bottom walls I9, 2| andalong the forward edges of the side walls I8, the plates 23 extendinginwardly to the inner sides olf the vertical flan-ges 2i), 22.

A central head portion includes forwardly extending channel frarnemembers 24 spaced vertically and connected with the transverse channelmembers i6, as by welding. A front wall 25 is secured to the centrallframe portions 2d and is substantially in transverse alignment with thefront walls 23, forming the working face of the plunger head I2. Y

It is now evident that the plunger head frame i5 is generallyrectangular and is provided with a pair of vertically extendinglaterally spaced slots 32, dened by the adjacent edges of the centra]and outer front walls 25, 23. The slots exu tend rearwardly to thetransverse channel frame members I6 and serve as passiageways for thetwo needles of a wire tying mechanism., described in a co-pending Tuftapplicatie-n, Serial No. 594,584, filed May 19, 1945.

A pair of transversely extending structural angle members 3i are rigidlyiiXed, as by welding, to the front walls 23 near their lower ends, withthe horizontal flanges of the angle members extending forwardlytherefrom, braced by gussets 32, and the vertical flanges extendingdownwardly above the oor plate 8 of the bale case, Tihese angle members3| compress the hay or other crop near the bottom of the bale caseslightly in advance of the main working lface 23 of the plunger topermit the needles to begin moving upwardly through the bale case andthrough the slots 3i] slightly before the plunger reaches its eX- tremeposition in the bale case, as explained in the Tuft application. lTwopairs of vertical ears 33 project forwardly from the top and bottom ofthe central front wall 25 to serve as guides or shields for the'needles.

A vertical knife 35 is disposed along the forward edge of the sid@ wallI8 adjacent the feed opening I I and is secured by a plurality ofcountersunk bolts 3% to a reenforcing plate 3l, welded to the forwardedge of the side wall I3 and to the outer edge of the front plate 23.The knife :i5 has a cutting edge 38 along the forward edge thereof,which cooperates with a vertical edge 39 along the side of the feedopening Il, for chopping off each charge of hay as the plungerreciprocates. The bolts 35 vare secured by nuts 46, which areAaccessible from the front of vthe plunger through apertures 4| in thefront wall 23.

Each of the longitudinally extending corners of the metal frame isprovided with a longitudinally extending wooden guide member 45, theouter side edges of which bear against the vertical side walls 9, I9 ofthe bale case, and the horizontal outer surfaces of which bearagainstthe top and bottom walls 1, 8 of the bale casefrespe'ctively. Theseguide members 45 serve as bearing supports for the plunger head withinthe bale case and maintain the head in proper alignment within the case.The guides are made of hard wood, which has a minimum wearing effectagainst the inner surfaces of the bale caseV wall,

but which has a satisfactory wearing lifewhen properly lubricated.

A certain amount of wear on the guide members 45, is naturally to beexpected, and it is in connection with the compensation for such wearthat the present invention was conceived.

Each of the guide members 45 is tapered to providek rearwardlyconverging top and bottom sides and also rearwardly converging lateralsides. As best shown in Figure 2, the top surface of the upper guidemembers 45 lies flat against the `top wall 1 of the bale case and thelower sides of the lower guide members lie flat against the bottom floor8 of the bale case. The inner surfaces 46, however, of the guide members45 are tapered uniformly rearwardly so that the vertical thickness ofthe guides at the forwardY end of the plunger is greater than thethickness at the rear end of the plunger head. Accordingly, the top wallportion I9 of each of the side walls I8 is inclined upwardly andrearwardly tol correspond to the taper of the guide members, andsimilarly, the lower walls 2| are inclined downwardly and rearwardly,with the result that the guide members 45 lieY at against the top andbottom walls I9, 2|, respectively, while the outer surfaces are parallelto thertop andbottom walls l, 8 of the bale case, regardless of the'fore and aft positionV of the guide members 45 relative to the metalframe I5, and by sliding the guidemembers rearwardly relative to theinclined Vsupporting surfaces of the walls I9, 2 I, the outer surfacesof the guide members are brought into sliding contact with the top andbottom walls l, S, respectively. Thus, after a certain amount of wearhas occurred during operation of the baling press, the plunger willbecome loose in the bale case but this looseness can be taken up byshifting the guide members 45 rearwardly relative to the plunger headframe I5.

Wear also occurs between the side edges of the guide members 45 andtheside walls 9, I0, respectively, and this wear is similarlycompensated for, simultaneously with the adjustment for wear on thehorizontal surfaces of the guides, as will best be understood byinspection of Figure 1. Each of the guide members 45 tapers to providerearwardly converging lateral sides, the outer sides of the guidemembers being normallyflat against the side walls 9, I9, while theinner'sides o f the guide members are inclined outwardly and rearwardlyfrom the forward ends of the members `45. The inclined inner edges ofthe guide members 45 bear against the vertical flanges 29 and 22 whichare inclined at an acute angle to side walls 9,7I0, until the outeredges of the guide 'tom walls I9, 2|.

edges thereof. In other words theiguide mem-- bers, when shiftedrearwardly, move toward both the intersecting walls of the bale casewhich dene the corner associated therewith, respectively. It is not'edthat each of the longitudinally extending corners of the plunger headcan be` said to have a longitudinal recess formed therein by the topAand. bottom walls I9, 2| and the vertical flanges 20, 22, in whichrecesses the wooden guide members 45 are received.

The guide members 45 are secured in kadjusted position by means of aplurality of carriage bolts 50, extending vertically through apertures5| in the guide members 45 and through longitudinally extending slotsY5,2 in the top and bottom walls I9, 2|, respectively. The .heads of thebolts 59 are set into recesses`53 in the guide members 45 and the boltsare secured by nuts 54V and washers55 engaging the threaded ends of thef bolts 50 beneath the slots 52 in the top and bote are preferably threebolts in each of the guide members'45, and each of the slots 52 .isdisposed .substantially parallel to the vertical inclined flanges 2 9,22. Thus, there, areV twelve bolts 59 in the plunger head. Access to thenuts 54 can be had through the rear of the plunger head,

and through the hollow structural frame I5.

After wear has' occurred in the guide strips 45, the latter can easily be` adjusted by loosening the twelve nuts 54 and sliding the guidemembers 45 rearwardly until a slidingft is again obtained. Of course,the upper and lower guide members 45 on the side opposite the 4feedopening must beradjusted to properly bringr the knife 35 into cuttingrelation with the stationary cutting edge 39. The nuts 54 are thentightened securely to hold the guide-members 45 in adjustedposition.

A pair of hard woocl'bearing blocks 5t', are rigidly bolted to the upperand lower longitudinal frame members 24by bolts 5l.` These blocks 56 aremore inthe nature of spacers thanfof wearing members,v and are notprovided-with adjusting means to compensate for. wear. If desired, avertical spacer block 58 can'be bolted to the side I 9 of the plungerhead opposite the knife 35 between Ythe upper and lower guide members45. This spacer is rigidly attachedby suitable boltsV or the like andisnot provided wit adjusting means. Y

We claim:

1. A baling press Yplunger head comprising a generally rectangular frameincluding means delning a recess extending longitudinally along at leastone corner thereof, a guide member disposed longitudinally in saidrecess and adapted to slidably bear against a pair of perpendicularYouter surfaces of said guide member parallell to p said intersectingbale case walls, said guidemember being shiftable longitudinally .ofsaidinclined surface in saidrecess to shift one. of said outer surfacesoutwardly tocompensate kfor wear, and

means for securing said guide member rigidly to Y said frame inadjustedposition..` i

As shown in Figure l, there 2. A baling press plunger head comprising agenerally rectangular frame including means defining a, recess extendinglongitudinally along at least one corner thereof, a guide memberdisposed longitudinally in said recess and adapted to slidably bearagainst a pair of perpendicular intersecting walls forming a corner of abale case, said guide member being tapered to provide converging top andbottom sides and converging lateral sides, said recess havingcorrespondingly inclined surfaces to position the outer surfaces of saidgui-:ie member parallel to said intersecting bale case walls, said guidemember being 'shiftable longitudinally of said inclined surfaces in saidrecess to shift bothof said outer surfaces outwardly to compensate forwear, and means for securing said guide member rigidly to said frame inadjusted position.

3. A plunger head comprising a generally rectangular frame and guidemembers extending longitudinally along each corner thereof and adaptedto slidably bear against the horizontal and vertical walls of arectangular bale case, each of said guide members being tapered toprovide converging sides and said frame having cor respondingly inclinedsurfaces to position the outer surfaces of said guide members parallelto the associated bale case walls on which they bear, said guide membersbeing shiftable longi tudinally relative to said frame to shift certainof said outer surfaces outwardly to compensate for wear, and means forsecuring said guide members rigidly to said frame in adjusted position.

4. A plunger head comprising a generally rectangular frame and guidemembers extending longitudinally along each corner thereof and adaptedto slidably bear against the horizontal and vertical walls of arectangular bale case, each of said guide members being tapered toprovide converging top and bottom sides and converging lateral sides,said frame having correspondingly inclined surfaces to position theouter surfaces of said guide members parallel to the associated balecase Walls on which they bear, said guide members being shiftablelongitudinally relative to said frame to shift each of said outersurfaces outwardly to compensate for wear, and means for securing saidguide members rigidly to said frame in adjusted position.

MARCUS E. MCCLELLAN, JAMES REX WEST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,696,974 Rollman Jan. l, 19292,336,351 Flowers Dec. L i943 2,178,322 Colgin Oct. 3l, 1939

